High rainfall amounts lead to loss of nitrogen from the soil. Sometimes the loss is great enough that a crop will benefit from additional nitrogen application. This article will describe how nitrogen is lost and factors to consider in deciding whether to apply extra nitrogen. There are two main ways nitrogen is lost from wet…Read more about Nitrogen Loss from Wet Soils[Read More]
After the heavy rains in the past a few days, flooding/waterlogging injury stands out in my farm visit this week. Regardless of tomato or cucumber, the injured plants showed leaf yellowing that occurred 2 to 3 days after waterlogging (Figure 1). The yellowing leaves are a result of chlorophyll loss, which is associated with N…Read more about Plants Recovering from Waterlogging Damage[Read More]
Unfortunately, pests don’t know when to take the day off. Even though we have bees in the field and watermelons reaching peak bloom, we still need to watch out for pest infestation and disease outbreaks. First and foremost, scouting fields to monitor pests will ensure that infestations never reach high enough populations to threaten yield….Read more about Spray Less, Pay Less, and Get Better Control of Your Arthropod Pests[Read More]
A quick glance at my vegetable garden on Thursday, June 17, revealed a lonely Japanese beetle… I dutifully squished it! This does indicate that emergence is beginning in west central Indiana. Hatch has undoubtedly been going for several days in southern counties, whereas, northern counties will soon be graced with their presence. Oh joy! Japanese…Read more about Japanese Beetles Emerging[Read More]
In Indiana, strawberry is traditionally grown as a perennial crop using a matted-row system, in which strawberry bare-root plants (Figure 1) are planted in spring on bare soil. Each year, fruit is harvested from mother plants as well as daughter plants that are derived from established runners in the past year. Strawberries can also be…Read more about Getting Ready to Plant Strawberries in a Plasticulture System — Planting Materials[Read More]
Southwest Purdue Ag Center held a virtual field day on June 24, 2021. Multiple projects are highlighted at the virtual field day. If you are interested in learning more about these projects, please check this playlist https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLveWDgbh5ujHd6WjcbkVZIFSF5NhqtTyM that includes 24 videos. Topics related to vegetable production include: Pest and pollinator considerations in melon production Herbicide…Read more about Southwest Purdue Ag Center Virtual Field Day Research Highlight[Read More]
Small Farm Education Field Day will be held on July 29th, 2021 at the Purdue Student Farm. Small Farm Education Field Day Webinar Series is scheduled on July 29, August 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, 2021. A wide range of topics including but not limited to crop production, food safety, pest management, farm business…Read more about Small Farm Education Field Day and Webinar Series[Read More]
As we welcome July, Indiana seems to be in a very wet phase. Or, at least part of the state has been. The jet stream – a narrow band of fast-flowing air near the altitudes where commercial jets fly – naturally meanders in a north-south-north ribbon around the hemispheres. Typically, these “ribbons” also shift eastward…Read more about Storm Tracks Favor Some Parts of Indiana Skipping Others[Read More]
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